For Fuks Saké

Got My Mind Set On You

My first ever blog post for all those irrational enough to want to listen to the mind of Proudlock, which takes me nicely into the topic of said blog post, irrationality.

This week I have been reading, Irrationally by Stuart Sutherland (link below) to save me from the mind numbing, retardation of free newspaper reading. And it is amazing how unbelievably irrational we all are and fascinating the lengths we go to justify our irrationality to ourselves.

Take this example:

"The rivalry between groups may be so irrational that each may try to do the other down even at its own expense. In an aircraft factory in Britain the toolroom shop stewards tried to preserve this difference, even when by doing so they would receive a smaller wage themselves. They preferred a settlement that gave them £67.30 a a week and the production workers a pound less, to one that gave them an extra two pounds (£69.30) but gave the production workers more (70.30)"

Unbelievable! But leads to the question "do we all compete with people to our own detriment?"

Are you competing with someone for that promotion or to catch the eye of a certain someone? Are you sure it is the path to success? Are you even sure that it is actually what you want?

Brands are you so busy fighting the competition on micro issues that you have lost sight of the bigger issue? Being the best! Or at least yourself.

If you are constantly looking at the competition and reacting to what they do, how can you really be yourself? How can you produce your best? And most importantly why would anyone take notice of you?

David Proudlock

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Irrationality-Stuart-Sutherland/dp/1905177070/ref=sr

_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215784326&sr=8-1

Stay In All Night You'd Never See Them

Spain. Possibly Holland. Anyone But Germany.

Deep down, other than Brian Glanville, James Richardson and the 3 subscribers of World Soccer, who really gives a shit about Euro 2008?

BBC Sport are giving it the best possible shot. Their campaign is a cracker. Simple insight (no-one's got anyone to supoort therefore they won't care), matched with simple idea (who will you support?), execute it smartly (like they always do) and then throw the kitchen sink at it (the campaign is everywhere on telly and online). There's just a chance with them, that this won't be buried on BBC3 alongside Garth Crooks.

Come Friday night and a few pints, my mates and I have all agreed that all of us are alright at being marketers / PRs / accountants / fund managers / solicitors / whatever. But we'd all be geniuses if we were given the chance to do the music for the all the montages on Football Focus. I don't think so somehow.

Here's the trailer.
Here's their Top 10 Euro goals.
Here's their video archive.
Here's the blog.
Here's their Twitter feed.
Here's their Flickr stream.
Here's their Youtube channel.
Here, even, are the opening titles from Euro '96.

Asian Intelligence

How to get instantly smart on Asia, the Internet and other things. Norman Lewis: "To See The Future of the Internet, Look East," in the excellent Spiked.

Eat Fat & Love It

You could never accuse Burger King of being sanctimonious. Whilst McDonald's take the flak for forcefeeding fat down kids throats, BK crack on regardless. It's quite simple - give 'em what they want.

Heavy drinkers and fat boys have a new challenge with the news that Burger King is to launch 'the 6 Pack,' a burger designed for sharing. That's what they say - the real challenge is whether you can eat one yourself.  It's one burger in six rolls which the fat eater is expected to tear off portions. £4.49 for the burger. £5.69 for a meal. Good luck to them.

As for McDonald's, they disgust me.

Burma

Shot by Ogilvy in Amsterdam, on MTV, doing the rounds virally. Burma.

To get more involved join Tim Whirledge's Facebook group,  or go straight here .  

Guys

The market for men's toiletries has risen by 800% in seven years, according to a not very interesting news piece in today's Observer. This isn't surprising. Pre-Beckham, anyone who rubbed anything other than mud, coal or Brut into their faces was obviously gay; or a 'poof,' a word you don't hear too often these days.

Let's be clear. This growth isn't driven by men. It's driven by 'guys.'

Who deemed it socially acceptable to use the word 'guy' or 'guys' to describe men? 

'Guys definitely want to look younger and they're interested in having the tools to do so,' said Brian Boye of Men's Health, offering up a cheap quote in the piece. It's an utterly offensive term, applied to the most inoffensive of people. 'Guys.' The Lynx brand managers always used to refer to them, implying sophistication, a clutch of Coldplay albums, skinny lattes and a flat in Battersea. The sort that think it's acceptable to write 'hey,' to another man in an email.

In 100 years time they'll be no genitals left on the planet.

Another Culture Lesson

Throughout Asia, an 'instant noodle meal solution,' is an efficient, tasty and wholesome snack. Here in the UK we have Pot Noodle. Our and AKQA's latest work for them, with more than just a nod to Guinness...

Lineker: Business As Usual

The Surrey-based millionaire divorcee's on the sniff again. This time he's learnt how to use Facebook....

Jordan Belfort

This is Jordan Belfort. Below are two paragraphs, copied directly from a feature in the Daily Telegraph.

"As a 31-year-old multimillionaire stockbroker, Belfort once landed his helicopter on his back lawn, flying with just one eye open because he was so stoned he had double vision. He sank his 167ft motor yacht, complete with seaplane and helicopter, after overruling the captain and taking it into a Mediterranean storm."

"A pioneer in promoting office bonding activities, Belfort thought it would improve morale if staff were encouraged to have sex with each other whenever they could, even under the desks. There were mid-afternoon "coffee breaks" with a troupe of hookers in the office car park. One office junior agreed to have her hair shaved off on the trading floor in return for $5,000 for a breast job."

There is much more of this here. And they'll be a book, and a film.

A truly remarkable man.